Buddhism: The Religion Of No-Religion | The Buddha and the Secrets Left Unspoken

Buddhism: The Religion Of No-Religion, The Buddha and the Secrets Left Unspoken.
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A Buddhist Paradox: “I have heard that…”
One autumn day, Buddha was walking through a forest, the crunch of golden leaves underfoot marking his path. During a pause in his journey, his disciple Ananda approached him with a question, "Blessed One, I have a question that I prefer to ask in private. Please answer me honestly. Have you shared everything you know, or are there things you've kept from us?"

The Blessed One picked up a handful of leaves and said, "What I have taught you is like these leaves in my hand—just a small part. What I know is as vast as the leaves in this entire forest. It's not that I wish to conceal anything, but I cannot possibly convey all that I know. Even discussing these few leaves is challenging because it surpasses human understanding. You grasp concepts, yet you do not comprehend the state of 'no-mind.' You experience emotions, yet you haven't tasted the stillness devoid of emotions, as if the clouds in the sky have vanished entirely.


"Therefore, I've tried my best," he continued, "but words fail me when I attempt to describe more. If I can help you understand that life contains many aspects that are beyond words, if I can convince you that there are many things your mind cannot grasp, then I am satisfied. That would mean the seed has been planted in fertile soil."

Throughout his life, Buddha did not allow anyone to record his words. The reason was that listening while writing distracts you; thus, what you note down is incomplete, altered, or added by your interpretation. You must listen, then record, and the subtleties of what he said are such that unless you are utterly focused, you will not understand. Instead of taking notes, listen intensely, with both body and soul, allowing the teachings to deeply penetrate your thoughts.

He preached for forty-five years. After his entry into Nirvana, the first thing his disciples did was to write down what they remembered; otherwise, humanity would have lost a great deal. Their effort was both beneficial and detrimental. They compiled the scriptures, but an odd phenomenon occurred. It was as if one heard a duck while another described a chicken, because each memory differed. Thirty-two sects emerged. Each insisted that they had faithfully recorded the Blessed One's words. But the disciple with the most extraordinary memory was Ananda, the Blessed One's closest disciple. Yet, when Buddha entered Nirvana, Ananda had not yet attained enlightenment. Ananda was very humble and aware that, "Not being enlightened, how can I accurately convey the words of one who was? I will interpret, I will mix it with my own thoughts, I will embellish and distort. Its true meaning will be lost to me because I do not have the eyes to see nor the ears to hear." Because of this humility, the scriptures he compiled became the foundational texts of Buddhism. All these texts begin with, "I have heard that…"

The thirty-two sects had their own distinguished scholars; they were more erudite than Ananda; they could interpret, argue, and construct grand doctrines. But gradually, all these sects were discarded because they lacked one element: "I have heard so..."
They all said, "Buddha said…" and insisted that Buddha had spoken thus.

Ananda's scriptures were universally accepted. This is interesting. Many attained enlightenment, but they remained silent because what they had heard could not be expressed. Others, not enlightened but philosophical geniuses, argued brilliantly and expounded the scriptures skillfully, yet they were not accepted. The one who was accepted had not attained enlightenment, was not a philosopher, and was merely someone who had cared for Buddha. Ananda was accepted for his humility, his honesty in starting with, "I have heard so... I do not know for certain if the Blessed One said this. I cannot put words into his mouth. I can only say what I have heard. I can speak of my mind, but not of the sublime silence of the Blessed One.